Full Orbit
by CrimsonPromises
Summary: THEY'RE BACK! After nearly 20 years the Cullens, and a few extras come back to Forks and attend Forks High School...again.
1. Chapter 1 First Day

**I do not own any of the Twilight series characters, ya know...the usual**

Chapter 1 – First Day

It was high school again, but this time it wasn't going to be so daunting; this time I had Edward and Renesmee. It didn't seem fair to deprive Nessie of a normal childhood experience just because she wasn't a normal child. Nessie was 18 years old now, but looked like any normal 15 year old, and smarter than an encyclopedia. She'd spend her whole life in deep conversation with a group of vampires. Each one trying to pass on all the knowledge and life experience they had to our blessing, the vampire child - my daughter.

We all sat at the table that not but 19 years ago only held the five Cullen Children; things surely had changed. Now the eight of us, one bit not always, but generally happy family sat there.

It had been argued many nights just to let Jacob and Nessie go to school together. It went; Jacob and Nessie would argue their point, occasionally dragging an aunt or uncle to their side, then the rest of us would argue against them. Carlisle would always end it saying "Let's let the parents decide."

Edward and I felt strongly about not letting Nessie out of our sight. Not that I didn't think Jacob could protect her, no so long ago I'd entrusted her life to him, but now was different. He wasn't a vampire, he was a werewolf, he couldn't hear the thoughts of the other kids, and he couldn't predict the future. Jacob cared about Nessie greatly, but it takes more than love sometimes. Sometimes it takes a not-so-human shield. We all had a purpose within our family and we weren't going to break that up.

"It's settled, you all will enroll back into Forks High School" Carlisle would say. Up until we actually did the fighting continues. The only time it wasn't an ever present elephant standing in the room was when Nessie and Jacob slept. I tried to imagine what it was like for them, mortal and yet not. Nessie wouldn't ever grow any bigger; she'd forever be frozen in her mid teens, just a couple years younger than her own mother and father. Jacob was a mere 16 years old, as tall as a giant and stuck in his adolescence. He'd never grow old as long as he continued to make use of his wolf form, and as long as Nessie wanted him around he'd find a way to use it.

So two weeks ago we all went down to the school for high school orientation and registration. Edward scanned the thoughts of the staff for any hint of recognition, while Alice scanned our future to see any impending danger. Luckily for us most of the teachers had retired, and the ones that didn't couldn't recall any of us. After years of teaching in a small town, each year a new set of faces, they'd grown accustomed to the similarities between family members. They dismissed all resemblances as strong genetics and moved on. Everything looked good for high school - round two.

We worked out some of the details before heading out; we all got so used to pretending that it didn't take any effort anymore.

Hello, I'm Bella Wolfe; this is my boyfriend Edward Cullen. My brother Jacob and his girlfriend Renesmee Hale. This is her brother Jasper and sister Rosalie. Jasper is dating Alice, Edward's sister, as well as Rosalie is dating Edward's brother Emmett. We live with our foster parents Carlisle and Esme. One big happy family.

"What are they thinking Edward?" Emmett asked. He was always curious if people were afraid of us, more specifically afraid of him.

"Nothing unusual yet!" He answered. "A lot of questions about where we came from, who we are." I could tell he was holding something back - I'd have to ask him about it later.

Nessie put her hand to my palm and I began to see what she had already done today. Her first class, the notes she took down excitedly even though she already knew the subject, it was easy to see how happy she was even if her parents aunts and uncles had to go to school with her. She showed me Jacob and her walking down the hallway hand in hand and getting stopped by a teacher. He yelled at them for "Public Displays of Affection." I could hear them both laugh as they walked away, clasping each others hands as soon as they were out of the line of sight.

My feeling for Jacob ran almost as deep as Nessie's - he was my best friend, my daughter's soul mate, and like a brother and a son to me all at the same time. When I was human I begged to be able to love Jacob like I do now and until he imprinted on my daughter, I didn't think it was going to be possible. I was terrified that I would have to lose him to be with my only love, Edward. Fate had different plans, just like I once thought I was created to be a vampire and now I knew I was destined to be so much more than that.

Jacob and Nessie were the only ones at the table who ate real food, although we all grabbed trays full of it. Edward liked to call it our props; Rosalie called it 'dog treats' as Jacob would always steal whatever we weren't playing with and eat it. It was amazing how they still couldn't get along after all these years together. Jacob silently thought it was because he once got 'food in her hair'. Edward and I knew it was because Rosalie had to be angry at something so she can concentrate on anything. After I had Nessie she couldn't be angry at me, so Jacob was the only logical choice. After all, he was the only one with a choice to be normal - and he chose otherwise.

"I guess I'm going to have to work harder" Emmett said as he punched his fist into his open hand, interrupting my concentration.

"Can't you at least wait a week or two?" Alice said in her quirky high pitched voice, she was just as excited as Jake and Ness about going back to school. To her it meant more shopping, more clothes, more dances, and more parties - everything Alice loved and I hated it. It's baffling how different we are and how close we are.

"I don't think that's going to happen." Edward said his words aimed at Alice."

"I of all people should know that. I was just trying to see if I could prevent it." Alice retorted. "Incoming, four children 30 seconds."

We all got quiet as Alice warned us a group of kids were going to come over and try to talk to us. The scent of human blood used to leave us all wanting with venom swirling in our mouths. Alice used to be the alarm to stop breathing and cease smelling to prevent it. But because we spend so much time with Charlie, Jacob, and Nessie, none of the four students smelt like food. It was second nature; the burning sensation in the back of the throat, as natural as acting human had become. Even when in my own cottage, just the four of us, I found myself blinking, breathing, shifting my weight from one leg to another; just being human.

"Hello. We wanted to come over and introduce ourselves." The unofficial leader of the group said. He held out his hand towards Jacob as if to signal 'we come in peace' and offers a friendly handshake. I could see his hand shaking and then suddenly stop as Jasper calmed the air around us. We all watched Jacob as he reached up to the child and took his offer very gently.

"My name is Mike Newton, and this is Stanley, Jordan, and my little sister Cassie." He nodded in each of their directions as he said their names. I didn't hear anything farther than "Mike Newton", the face of what had to be this child's father flashing in my head.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Jacob Wolfe, this is my - " Jacob started. I kicked him under the table before he could get any further; he grimaced at me and winked. "This is - these are my friends and family, and my girlfriend Nessie." He said as he settled back and put his hand back into Renesmee's.

Mike Newton!! I screamed in my mind. How did we not know? And as if Edward could read my thoughts he said only loud enough for us to hear "its okay, he has no idea who we are." With reassurance from my better half I introduced myself.

"My name is Bella, this is my boyfriend Edward."

I nudged Alice signaling she should go next.

"Hi, I'm Alice and this is -"

"I'm Jasper." Jasper answered for himself. "This is my sister Rosalie, and her boyfriend Emmett."

It happened almost exactly as planned, and without a hitch. We all blinked and smiled, and occasionally chuckled as if being queued. All actions that seemed normal and familiar to the humans standing at the head of our table.

"Do you mind if we join you?" The little girl asked. No one thought someone would be this bold on the first day.

Rosalie was the first to stand, "We were actually just leaving?"

"That's right; I forgot we have to hand in those forms before our next class." I responded. The smile that brightly lit the girls face and I thought of my own daughter, I couldn't leave her hurt like that and added. "Maybe some other time." Her smile was back; something Edward taught me about humans. "Leave them some hope, but no chance." he would say.

I pushed my shield out and away so Edward could hear my thoughts. Maybe Emmett was right, maybe we do need to be a bit scarier

I could see Edward nod his head - we'd have to talk about it later. With my shield back in place around the people that I loved we made out way passed the group of kids; careful not to touch them. We put our trays away - there were eyes everywhere staring at us as we moved. We flowed as one entity; a pack, and if they didn't think we were scary before they surely thought it now. Emmett smirked back at me as we walked out of the cafeteria.

"You were the one who said 'Let's go back to high school'", he reminded me. I was starting to think maybe it wasn't so bad the first time around, maybe high school doesn't get better no matter who you spend it with.


	2. Chapter 2 Deja Vu

Chapter 2 - Déjà vu

Edward and I managed to get the same schedule, when I say, managed, I do mean he dazzled his way into the heart of the guidance counselor and convinced her to switch all his classes to match mine. So after lunch we headed to Biology, a walk we used to make everyday almost 20 years ago. The same shocking energy flowed between us; I loved him more and more everyday. The only thing different now was my hand felt warm enclosed in his and their wasn't an ounce of doubt as their had been before - this was forever.

We took the same table we'd shared before, he sat to my left, and I to his right. Even little Mike Newton sat in the back of the room. I kissed Edward on the cheek before settling into my seat before the bell rang. Mrs. Cole was starting to pass out microscopes for the day's lab. I already knew we were going to be identifying the cells of an onion; I could smell the pungent odor from underneath the damp paper towel keeping it moist.

"Does this feel a little like déjà vu to you too?" I asked Edward.

"Yes!" He answered.

"Do you think we should pretend to get some wrong?"

"No, this time you are going to get better grades."

Being a vampire changed me - I remembered everything I saw, smelt, and tasted. It would be harder to get bad grades than good ones, and when you don't sleep there is no excuse to not getting your homework done. I hoped that maybe one of these teachers would give me an assignment I hadn't already completed or assign a book I haven't already read. It could happen, right?

We finished looking and naming the slides before the rest of the class had even completed the first. Being able to see the slides without the microscope does make a big difference. But we went through the motions while having a conversation in a voice low enough for no one to hear what we were saying.

"How's Renesmee?" I asked.

"You know how she feels about me checking in on her."

"Just tell me, I already know you're doing it. You read minds, I read you!" I said and poked him in the chest a little harder than I was meaning to. His chair tipped back but he was on his feet before anyone could see.

"Be careful, we're still the new kids and everyone is watching us."

"I'm sorry."

"It seems that attraction to you runs in the Newton family." Edward said, as he rolled his eyes in Mike's way.

"What do you mean?"

"Mike Newton. He can't stop thinking about you, comparing him to me." He said. "He seems to think I am not good enough for you. Any of this sounds familiar?"

"Stop it! You are changing the subject. Renesmee?"

"It seems that not much has changed in Forks over the last 20 years. All the boys want to be Jacob and all the girls want to be her."

"But how is she?"

"She is fine. Jacob won't let anything happen to her."

It was hard to pretend to not be your daughter's mother, but to not to, meant either exposing how not normal we were, or Nessie and Jacob would have to be alone.

After biology we met up with Jacob and Ness and headed to gym class; another treat Edward had dazzled us into. Gym was the hardest of all classes to pretend in - part of being vampire or werewolf nature was to be entirely too competitive and stronger than any human teenager. At least if we paired together and played against each other we could have a small amount of fun. Edward had it set up so that the other four would have gym together too 0 at least until we all got used to playing nice.

In gym Mr. Boone gave out locker assignments and uniforms, and then sent us all to the locker rooms to change. I traded lockers with the girls next to Nessie, so we could be together. I was going to ask Edward later when she was asleep how she felt about it.

"Mom, I mean Bells?"

"Yeah Ness?" I chuckled at hearing the nickname Jacob and Charlie used for me coming from her.

"Am I going to be okay?" I could see the concern in her eyes and when she touched her hand to my cheek I saw she was afraid she was going to hurt one of the children.

"Of course baby, just pretend you are playing with Grandpa or Grandma."

I could see how my words comforted her; she was 17 years old but still so much my little girl. "Aunt Alice said everything was going to be fine." I reminded her.

Mr. Boone blew his coaches whistle and yelled for everyone to meet in the gym. Memories of my mortal clumsiness overwhelmed me; this time I was going to be better at sports.

"You're lucky you didn't inherit my balance and grace kid!" I said to Renesmee as I pulled her back out to the gym. Seeing Edward's pale skin in shorts and a tank top was a sight I'd never experienced before, you never notice how white we are until you get a good look at us under fluorescent lighting.

"Don't even start." He said to me.

"You don't look so bad." I said - I lied.

He looked strangely uncomfortable and more aware of his skin pigmentation - or lack their of. I chuckled. He scowled.

"It's okay, we match." I said holding my leg up to his. He wrapped his arm around my leg and picked me up in to the air, he spun me around and set me back down before anyone really knew what had happened. All they saw was him and I laughing, Jake and Ness rolling their eyes, and Mr. Boone; who didn't look happy at all.

"Sorry Mr. Boone." Edward apologized as he still laughed with his gold flecked eyes.

The rest of the class went by slowly; free for all was what Mr. Boone has called it. A group of boys asked Jacob to join them in their basketball game. He looked to the rest of us as if asking for permission.

"Go ahead." I encouraged him, "just be careful." I reminded him. With Jacob it wasn't so much a concern him hurting someone, as much as someone hurting them self on him; like I did the one time I tried to hurt Jacob as a human. The wolves were hard; unless covered in fur. None of the rest of us got asked to join in any games, we just watched Jacob; and Nessie cheered him on.

"Go Jacob" She'd yell, whenever he had the ball. I could see him struggling to find the balance between too good, not good enough, and average. He was 6'7" now, he had to be good, but if he ran too fast or jumped too high he risked the possibility of unwanted attention. The concern read clearly on his face, he'd hear the encouragement from me or Nessie and especially Edward and he'd know he was doing okay. Slowly more kids stopped the games they were playing and for the last 45 minutes joined us watching the game - we blended in - like all the rest of them. Any time I would start to feel awkward I'd remind my self of the days when I was human - I felt just as awkward then. I truly believed with all my unbeating heart that we'd make it through.


	3. Chapter 3 Alone Time

**I seperated the original third chapter into a few more. And I added some to the end of the "fifth" chapter.**

Chapter 3 - Celebrate

The week went by as flawlessly as the first day. Our display in the cafeteria kept people internally aware of the danger we imposed, but our smiles and kind words kept them from being suspicious. Emmett was happy that we'd put fear into the hearts of children, Ness was glad she could meet other children, and I was happy because the first week was over - it was Friday. We all left the school and headed to our separate cars. We'd decided it wasn't as easy to blend in, in a vehicle big enough for the eight of us. We had to build an extra garage just to hold all the cars we'd accumulated though. I used to think Edward's obsession with driving fast was a result of his own character - it was natural behavior for all things immortal. When death wasn't an option speed was natural. Jacob re-built a lot of cars and we all chose which we'd like to drive. Just like when I went to Forks High School the first time, the parking lot was full of outdated hand me down vehicles. Jacob and Renesmee had a '10 VW Jetta - his latest project. Edward and I picked a '18 Toyota Prius; the other four all rode together in either Emmett's Jeep or Jasper's stupid shiny Volvo. I originally planned on taking my old Chevy that Jacob restored for me - Edward debated against it.

"We have to live forever, do you really want to pollute?"

"When you put it that way." He was just trying to keep me from driving it, but he made a valid point.

"We don't have any homework this weekend." I pointed out.

"What are you suggesting Mrs. Cullen?" I never got enough of it - I once was appalled at the idea of marriage, not that I didn't adore Edward with all of my being, but it felt like hypocrisy to get married so young - wasn't forever enough - it wasn't. Forever was nothing without being Edward's wife. The first thing I did everyday on our way home was switch my wedding rings back to the correct finger.

"It's supposed to be sunny this weekend. I was thinking maybe a camping trip - alone?" Our family held privacy from the outside world high on the list of priorities, within our own walls it was hard to come by. We did out best, sometime it's unavoidable. We all can hear through any sound proof material, Edward could invade thoughts from miles away. Alive could just as easily pluck your next move from your very own mind. And I never seemed to be able to take my shield off of the family, always knowing where they were and how close they were to each other.

"Where to my love?" Edfward asked as he opened my door for me and ushered me in. On my seat sat a plain white card, inside a note from Alice.

Have fun down at First Beach. I already packed for you. Be back by 5 p.m. on Sunday. Alice

"It looks like we're going to First Beach." I said, wondering what Alice had packed for me. Edward read the note and chuckled.

"That's what she saw this morning."

La Push was the only place we could go to get complete privacy. Most of the wolves were staying up by our house now days so there wouldn't be anyone around. Even though we had a pact with them Alice couldn't see anything if it happened on the reservation. She was the only one who knew how badly I wanted to be alone with Edward. It seemed weird to share those thoughts with Jacob - Alice was the only one good enough to not share them with Edward. We were still a young couple compared to the rest of our family and we'd had Nessie shortly after getting married, time alone was few and far between.

"Maybe if we all survive high school we can go on an extended second honeymoon." I thought out loud.

"We can go to Dartmouth, this time without the rest of the family."

"I wasn't really thinking about going back to school just yet."

"What were you thinking?" Edward's voice perked up with what I could imagine were thoughts more on target with my own.

"Traveling. Paris, Rome, Isle Esme..." I winked, "get the idea?"

"We're going to have to promise not to break anything before she let's us go back there." Edward smiled. "We're here." He pulled the car into the clearing that worked as a driveway for those who used cars to get to the cabin.

"The Cabin" as we all referred to it, was built about 15 years ago - Jacob's pack wanted a place to meet within the La Push territory that was their own. Same had tried to get them to merge together, but once Jacob went Alpha there was no going back. Eventually Quil and Embry joined Jacob and about 5 years ago Sam gave up Alpha so he could grow old with Emily. None of his wolves were strong enough to lead and they either joined Jacob or had to give up their spirit wolf too. Most of them were still angry at Sam because of it, I felt bad for him - I knew what it was like to have to choose to change who you are to be with the one you love. But I felt bad for his pack too, not all of them wanted to have to choose between their wolf and the vampires. To Seth and Jacob it was an easy choice - to the others it wasn't so cut and dry. There were many nights of debates and fights in The Cabin - Jacob, Seth, and Leah slowly turning a broken group of wolves back into a pack. The pack and my family would go on hunting trips together, we'd all come to an understanding and trust. They knew we didn't mean anybody harm and we knew that they'd stand by us in any battle. They weren't ideal terms, but they were the best we could come up with. We were allowed on the reservation and the original treaty flew out the window.

I grabbed our bags and headed towards the door to the cabin, one moment on my feet and the next I was in Edward's arms.

"How many times must I tell you Mrs. Cullen - thresholds are my thing!" His amber eyes stared into mine; he leaned his face down to mine and gently traced my jaw line with his lips. I could feel his breath on my skin - thousands of tiny shocks shooting between us. I filled my lungs with his scent, the scent I'd committed to memory the first night I'd ever put on his tan leather jacket - the real thing was so much better. My eyes closed in pleasure and Edwards lips brushed against my own. I lost myself in the moment dreaming of what was to come, before I opened my eyes Edward was setting me gently on the bed.

"My Edward - the love of my life and my existence - are we finally alone?"

I watched him close his eyes the way he did when shifting through thoughts.

"My Bella - the love I thought I could never have - yes!"

Time stood still for two nights and two days, my world in place within Edward's arms. The only thing Alice had packed was swimsuits and lingerie, she knew we had no plans on leaving - the only time we did was to venture down to the beach and watch the sunrise over the water.

Sunday morning came and we were waiting for it on the beat. Edward and I had spent the night beneath the stars. It took some convincing to get him to go along with it.

"What if someone comes, and sees us?"

"Then they'll get a show." I said as I slowly kissed his neck.

"No seriously." He said pulling my face away from him.

"You'll hear them far before they get to us. It'll be fine Edward." I pushed myself back into the crook of his neck and traced his collarbone lightly with my tongue. I could hear him breathe against my hair and I knew his will was breaking. Sometimes his old fashioned morals got in the way of my old fashioned fun.

The night was reminiscent of our first night together; the water, his pale skin in the moonlight. Although I couldn't sleep I did wake from my spent daze curled up beside Edward. Unlike our first night together there wasn't a look of fear and disgust in his eyes - he couldn't hurt me anymore and my body didn't bruise under his. Edward's face looked peaceful and calm his eyes focused intently on mine.

"I have something for you." He said softly.

"Wh-" I began, Edward put his finger over my lips.

"Before you say anything, I didn't buy it, I didn't make it, I have had it for a long time and I want you to have it now." He sat up and reached into the pocket of his jeans - which I hadn't noticed he'd ever put back on. I sat up and faced him extremely curious as to what it was. Edward clasped my hand and pulled it close to him; he slowly flattened it out and dropped a gold chain into my palm. At the end of the chain hung a gold heart shaped locket. It was beautiful with intricately engraved leaves and filigree. I turned it around and on the back it was engraved "TO MY LOVE"

"Edward, if I could cry, I would. It's absolutely beautiful." He looked relieved.

"Open it." He smiled his crooked smile.

Gingerly I pulled at the clasp to open the heart, on one side sat a picture of me, Edward, and Nessie taken when she was only a few days old. On the other, a picture of a simple man, an elegant woman, and a beautiful little boy.

"Is this - ?"

"That's me, and my parents. I was five." He answered before I could finish the question. "My father gave it to my mother on their 10th anniversary. I remember him asking me what he should have engraved on it." I knew in that moment if Edward could cry he would too. The only things Edward recalled from his brief years of being human were his love for his parents, their love for him, and their love for each other. He'd kept mementos from his previous life and so far he'd given me a few, as well as Jacob and Nessie. I handed him the necklace and turned so he could put it on me. I felt his hands brush along my neck and down my shoulders, every touch of Edward's left me longing for another - another kiss, another breath, another moment. I wanted him to ravish me, sweep me in his arms and take me somewhere no one else ever could. Instead has he stood he pulled me up with him, he led me down to the water, kicked off the jeans he had put on. He wouldn't let me touch him; his strong hands struggled to keep me from responding to him. Before long I have up the struggle and let him win, it wasn't like I was really losing.

After mere hours on the beach it was time for us to go back home.

"I don't want to leave." He whispered in my ear.

"Me neither, but Alice said."

"I know I just don't want to." It wasn't like Edward to be the one complaining about responsibility.

"Just give me one more minute." Edward asked as he casually played with my new locket handing on my chest. "Do you know what today is?"

"Sunday! Nessie's Birthday!"

"No - yes - but now. Today you officially have been one of us, longer than you were one of them." I thought back to my first few days as a vampire - a lot had happened and I never cared to look at a calendar. I'd spent two days in insurmountable pain and when I'd woken, all I cared about was my baby and my family.

"And you still haven't gotten rid of me." I whispered into Edward's hear as we embraced in a hug that was so much more. "I love you more than words can say." I pushed my shield out and flooded his mind with every memory I could think of from the very beginning to this very moment.


	4. Chapter 4 Celebrate

We ran home - if we left our car there, there would be a reason to go back. The run was relaxing and prepared me to enter reality. We were about 2 miles outside of the Cullen estate - Edward stopped dead in his tracks. I sniffed the air to see if there was something unusual, but all I could smell and taste was moss, trees, nature, and him. I pulled my shield in tightly around the two of us.

"I don't hear anything." He said. I listened to the night and heard animals running opposite us, and the trickle of the river off to our left.

"I don't hear anything either, let's go." I picked up the bags that I had set on the ground when I thought there may have been danger.

"No, I don't hear any thoughts." Edward whispered as if concentrating too hard to speak any louder. "It's like no one is out there."

"Like someone shut it off?" I said.

"That can't be possible."

"Maybe we aren't close enough yet."

"Maybe something is wrong." He combated and took off again. The only time I beat Edward in a dead run was when he let me, he would stop every couple seconds and let me catch up, we were home in less than a minute.

Every light was off and not a sound came from either house. I searched for the patter of Renesmee's heart beat or the loud thumping of Jacob's, nothing - Edward wasn't the only one freaking out.

"Anything yet?" I asked.

"Nothing." He said, "Go around to the cottage and I'll check around the house."

"I think we should stay together."

"Bella! Go to the cottage."

"No! I am staying with you."

Edward didn't respond to me he just slowly crept towards the back of the main house - I followed, I was a vampire now; he couldn't act like I was still human, still fragile. You'd think the last few days would have opened his eyes to it.

The back door to the house was left opened, I flicked on the lights - we didn't need them but it was a habit I wasn't able to break. From all directions I could see people jumping out from behind furniture and doors.

"Surprise!" Alice yelled as a chorus of voices followed.

"A party?" Edward and I questioned in unison.

"It's Bella's and Nessie's birthday! Of course a party. You didn't think you were the only one that remembered did you?"

Nessie took after me about presents and parties; we all decided high school was the only gift she wanted. We each got her a card, Edward composed a song, but a party wasn't in the plans. Since her actual birthday was 2 days ago, I thought we had gotten away without one.

"Now be quiet and turn the lights off or you are going to ruin the surprise." Alice demanded. "And don't worry, she'd going to love it." She whispered to us.

"How did you get everyone to think nothing?" Edward asked, still wondering how the cunning Alice eluded him.

"We had help!" She said as she nodded in the direction of Zafrina, the woman who could cloud your mind with whatever she wished. She had once helped me train to spread the shield I now held in place around so many. My shield reached to Nessie and Jacob and I knew they were about to pull into the driveway.

"They are almost here." Edward, Alice, and I called out together. I looked around at all the faces hidden in the shadows, I felt the warm energy of the wolves, the cold abyss of the vampires, and the pulsing blood of the humans, everyone we knew had showed. It was the largest grouping of our kind I'd seen since the day we had to confront the Volturi together. Renesmee meant so much to them all that they came for her 18th birthday party. Jake and Ness pulled into the garage in Jacob's Audi; I could hear them giggle with delight just being next to each other. It warmed my cold heart to know she had her own Edward.

They came up through the front door, and just like I did, reached for the light. When we heard the flick we all jumped out again and yelled "Surprise!"

Jacob's face instinctively snarled up until he realized who it was jumping out at him.

"Happy Birthday Nessie!" Alice yelled out as she flitted her way over to them.

"Thank you so much Auntie Alice." Renesmee's eyes scanned the group taking in each face and remembering the last time she'd seen them. With each one her smile grew - Alice was right, she loved it.

We all spent the night laughing, Nessie went around greeting everyone and bringing them up to speed a hand to their cheek - she'd learned how to share with more than one person, anyone touching her skin she could send memories to. Eventually she got to the whole room and back again.

"Mom, dad, can we talk to you a minute?"

"Of course honey!" Edward said. The four of us excused ourselves and went up to our cottage.

"You are trying very hard to keep your thoughts from me." Edward noted.

"And you look very nervous." I added.

I had an idea what was going on, and watching my daughter and best friend squirm under scrutiny was fun.

"Nessie is 18 now." Jacob started.

"Yes?" We said.

"Well, we think, well, I asked."

"Mom, he asked me to marry him." Renesmee places her hand in my hand and her other in Edward's. She showed us the date they had went on. The restaurant Jacob had taken her to - Bella Italian, the same place Edward and I went that night in Port Angeles. I chuckled as I watched Nessie order the mushroom ravioli and coke as I had. After dinner they had walked around town, Jacob took her to a park bench in the middle of town. I saw him from her eyes; they clouded over with tears as he got on one knee. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring that looked familiar to me.

"From the moment I saw you I have been trying to put the words together to tell you how I feel - I have never been able to. But I am going to try. When a wolf howls at the moon it's because that was what he was made to do. When your father turned your mother it was because that was what he was made to do. When I kiss you it is because that is what I was made to do. And if you'll let me, I'd like to do it forever. Renesmee Carlie Cullen, will you marry me?"

She cut off the connection there; she knew we didn't really enjoy kissing Jacob through her mind.

"I said yes!" She screamed as she shoved her ringed hand in my face. The ring that Edward had told me belonged to his mother, handed down from her mother, a family heirloom he must have passed to Jacob to give to our daughter. He knew what was going on and didn't tell me.

My instinct was to be happy for my daughter, but I remembered being 18 and being proposed to. Then I felt Edward grab my hand and I couldn't be anything but overjoyed for my one and only child. We all stood and hugged each other, congratulating the newly engaged couple.

"Now let's go tell everyone else." Nessie said, her voice so elated she sounded like Alice.

"No need. They're all here." Edward said, as he opened the door and pointed out all the nosey faces. I couldn't believe this was my family; life didn't end when my heart stopped beating - it barely began.


	5. Chapter 5 Puppies

Monday morning came and the sun faded, the rain washed down round the cottage. It was time for school, for some of us. The friends from out of town decided to stay a few extra days and Carlisle and Esme put them up in their house. Through the night as the rain fell heavier the wolves made their way into the cottage. Their trust of vampires didn't extend past the Cullen family.

I had a pile of fur curled up in all corners of my house. Jacob and Nessie had fallen asleep curled up on the couch next to the fireplace. Jacob snored loudly in her ear - she didn't seem to mind. We'd all gotten used to it over the years, when he wasn't there snoring, it was hard for Renesmee to get to sleep. She slept with her hand pressed against Jake's cheek, sharing her dream, a trick I'd learned when she was still a baby. They would wake up and talk about the dream they'd had together, the nights when she'd have a nightmare Jacob would be there to rescue her. He was her Edward and I couldn't deny her of that.

"Get up sweetie" I whispered into my daughter's ear, gently I pulled her hand away from Jacob, and he woke startled.

"Man Bells, we were just getting to the good part." he whispered at me and winked.

"Jake stops that!" I swatted at him jokingly "Edward will kill you. Get those thoughts out of your head before he is close enough to hear them. You aren't married yet!"

"Where is dear old dad?"

"You never give it up do you?" The same old Jacob. "He went to get some food for the pack - we didn't have enough to feed you all."

"You don't have to feed them, they probably already ate." He said - I rolled my eyes. Obviously he didn't notice the puppy piles spread throughout the house.

Edward pulled up and I could feel the smile spread across my face, he was dressed all in black and it accented his beauty perfectly. He carried all the bags in one hand and in the other two long white boxes. I didn't get to even say hello before he whisked Jacob away to our bedroom. Only Edward spoke and he did it very quietly.

"Yes I got them."

"No, don't worry about it."

"Don't even think about it - I said don't." There was a pause then a thud, and then Jacob said, "Ow. That hurt."

"It was supposed to." Edward replied and I heard his footsteps as he walked towards the door. I turned away and started taking the groceries out of the bags and started making breakfast. Nessie finally woke when she could smell the eggs cooking. She ate food and drank blood, but eggs she preferred over everything - the only human food I could keep down when I was pregnant with her.

"Smells good!" I heard her say from the other room.

"Does it? To me it smells like garbage."

As if an alarm went off in all of the wolves' heads they started getting up, a few at a time they went to the bathroom and came back out as oversized teenagers. The boys went first, then Leah. When she came out she was in some of my clothes that I had left in the hamper.

"Who took my clothes, again?" She fumed. Apparently there was an on going game of "get Leah naked". They were boys and she was a beautiful girl - made sense. But Leah wasn't the kind to laugh and joke - she was the kind to fight and inflict pain.

She stomped around the boys who all were working so hard not to giggle, each chuckle that made it through their sealed lips made her even angrier.

"That's it!" She said as she ripped off the top of mine she was wearing.

"If this is what you want, it's what you'll get."

Seth slowly backed out of the room and into the kitchen with me and Nessie. I assumed he was getting out of the line of fire and hiding if his sister decided to fully disrobe in the living room.

"Need some help?" He asked, looking like he needed rescuing. "It's bad enough I have to see them undressing her in their minds, I don't want to see it with my own eyes."

"I'm sorry Seth. Can you crack the rest of the eggs?" He needed to be saved, and giving him a job will do it. I think.

"Jacob asked me to be his best man Seth said - taking his mind off the goings on in the living room."I thought he would have asked Edward, but then I realized, he's the father of the bride." I could see the blush rise on Nessie's face. "I can't wait til I imprint on someone." Seth said. At first the wolves thought it was a rare occurrence, but so far all of the wolves had imprinted except for Seth and Leah. Carlisle had been working with Sam trying to find a reason up until Sam had left his pack behind.

"What about your girlfriend Sarah?"

"Naw, she's just for fun. She doesn't even know what I am."

"How do y you do that? Keep it from her like that?"

"Not everyone is as understanding as you were Bella."

I remembered the day that Jacob told me about Edward, I could barely recall the dream I'd had that very night, it still saw it through sleepy human eyes. I guess I took it better than most - I'd spent almost everyday since then with him knowing exactly what he was. The supernatural felt natural to me.

"I guess I never thought of it that way." I finally said to Seth, snapping out of my daydream and getting back to work on breakfast.

Seth tried to grab a piece of bacon from the piled high plate - Nessie smacked his hand away.

"Ouch"

"That's what you get for being greedy." She said. She was her mother's daughter. Edward and I used to sit up at night thinking about Renesmee and guess or point out the parts of her that reminded us of ourselves and each other. She has my human eyes, I called them brown; Edward called them thoughtful. She had Edwards grace and poise, she didn't trip over her feet and spoke as thought she were raised in the early 1900's. Her hair was a beautiful bronze with hints or brown and red, and skin pale as any vampires. By the time she was 7 she had reached full size, a mere 5'4" and built like a cheerleader. She was muscular, yet soft, strong, yet appeared fragile. She was equally Edward and I; she was ours, and there was no denying it.


	6. Chapter 6 Surprise

Chapter 6 – Surprise

Miraculously, we all made it out the door and to school on time – of course breaking a few speed limits – but it wasn't too bad.

The first half of the day went by as normal, Edward and I walked hand in hand to all our classes, we whispered back and forth while the teachers spoke, he stared at me, and I stared at him. But I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something he was keeping from me, he confirmed my suspicions on the way to lunch.

"I need to get something from the car; I'll meet you at the table." Edward said.

"I'll go with you."

"No, that's okay; I don't want the rest of the family to wonder where we are."

"Okay." I didn't really feel like arguing about it, so I went along. I let go of his hand and headed to the cafeteria alone. At the table, Alice, Rosalie, and Ness sat, looking just as confused as me.

"Alice, what's going on?"

"I'm not sure, they all keep changing their minds, and none of them have the whole plan. It's like they are trying to hide it."

"Maybe they are." Rosalie added.

"I think they are coming." Alice said.

I felt along my shield for each of the boys, they weren't together. Emmett was coming from the north entrance, Jasper the south, Jacob headed in from the east and Edward the west door. Jasper came in first, I could feel the excitement in the room and it was unlike him to raise the emotions in the room. I could feel someone getting closer behind me, "Emmett" I said as I turned, and Rosalie followed. Jacob and Edward both entered at the same time, it felt like an ambush, if it wasn't the heart warming smiles painted on their faces I'd have thought they'd gone mad.

I couldn't take my eyes off of the majestic beauty walking slowly toward our table from the west entrance. The four were all dressed alike – black suits, white vests, white ties; none of them pulled it off quite like Edward did. In their hand a single red rose. From the speakers that hung on either end of the room beautiful music rang through – undoubtedly an Edward original. His eyes reached deeply into my soul – the soul he thought he condemned – the soul I knew I never lost. What were they doing?

"Yes! Yes!" Alice screeched out from next to me. She must have figured out what their plan was. My eyes shifted around the room, every head was tilted in our direction, some, even turned their chairs to face us. In every on lookers eyes you could read jealousy, lust, and disappointment. Edward told me how some girls debated amongst each other which one of our boys was the most attractive. Last week along I heard the girls talking about our family in the bathroom; I'd pretended to eat some food and had to cough it back up. They seemed to all agree that the "new girls" aren't as pretty as the boys were saying. Then they intimately detailed the things about Edward, Jacob, Emmett, and Jasper that they found intriguing. There was no conclusion to the argument when I walked out of the bathroom stall – they scattered.

I felt Edward's soft hand against my cheek, he pulled my face to meet his gaze, and everyone else disappeared.

"Bella, you are going to hate this, but I am doing it any way." Edward said. He could have killed me again in that moment and I wouldn't have been upset. He continued "The sun was made to shine for you, the stars to light the night for you, the world was made for you to be, and yet you chose to be with me. I love you; will you please accompany me to homecoming?"

"Yes!" I didn't sound as excited as Alice, or Rosalie, or Nessie, but I tried.


	7. Chapter 7 Family

**Thanks for all the reviews and responses, I really appreciate it all!**

Chapter 7 – Family

After school, Jacob and Nessie dropped Edward and I off at the cabin to pick up our car.

"Homecoming?"

"Yes. Homecoming." I just stared at him, trying to tell if he was serious. "We didn't do it right the first time." He said matter of factly.

"How did you get the rest of them to go along with your crazy idea?"

"It wasn't my idea."

"Who's was it?"

"Jake's, he was really excited about the dance and wanted to make it special for our daughter. I helped him, we all helped him. He couldn't do it alone."

Edward let me drive home, it was quiet for a couple minutes, "Are you mad?" He said breaking the silence.

"No, I'm not mad."

"Are you sure, I know you hate the attention."

"No, I promise. It was beautiful. I just can't get the faces of those girls out of my head. I could of killed them right there for staring at you _that_ way."

He chuckled, "You should have seen their minds."

"Not. Helping." I pushed the electric car to its maximum speed. It had been a long time since jealousy was anything I had to feel – and there was no real reason for me to feel it now. Edward was mine. I had the ring and the scars to prove it. He giggled in the passenger seat, the velvet sound calmed me.

"It isn't funny!" I said as my own giggles came.

"If you could only hear what the boys think. You'd know why I find you funny." He shook his head, "The things they imagine could happen between you and them, or my daughter and them – it is quite disturbing." He muttered something so low I couldn't hear ,"Some don't even know your names, they think things like, 'the short one', 'the one with brown eyes', 'the blonde'" His giggles came back, " they call you 'the pale one'".

I didn't think I was any paler than the rest of them.

"Give me your arm!" Edward held out his arm, I raised mine up to his, they matched. "What do they mean 'the pale one'?" I could feel the jealousy replaced with anger.

"I don't know, they think it, not me. But don't worry, Mike Newton – he thinks your pale skin is beautiful, and over half the girls wished they were you today."

"Yeah, because they wish _you_ were _their_ boyfriend, not because they want to be me." I shot him a look, he didn't seem to understand the affect he had on people. He thought of it as the same affect all vampires had, but he was wrong. There was something different about him, beyond the obvious.

We pulled up to the house just a few minutes after the rest of the family. Carlisle and Esme were barely getting home too. They had opened up a private practice over the summer and Esme was his "assistant".

"How did it go?" Carlisle asked.

"She said yes." Edward replied.

"Of course she did." Esme smiled her mother-knows smile as she came around the car to give us each a hug.

"Why is everyone so surprised?" I asked. All three of them rolled their eyes and started marching towards the house. "What am I missing?"

"You never agree to anything like _that_ without force, trickery, or compromise." Edward answered. "We were just a little worried."

"I married him didn't I? Don't I get some credit?" I huffed as I ran ahead of him up to the cottage. Jacob and Nessie were sprawled out on the floor doing homework. They had books stacked all around them, Leah was making dinner in the kitchen, I went directly to my bedroom and started doing my English assignment – another essay about Romeo and Juliet. We were supposed to compare a theme of the play to our own lives. Luckily for me, I'd been doing that since the moment I'd met Edward.

"Dad, come look what I wrote." Nessie called out to him as soon as he walked through the door. It was wonderful to be home, to be mom and dad again.

"That's beautiful Ness, you should show your Mom." I could hear the rattling of paper and the sound of her feet against the wood floor.

"Come in."

Renesmee opened the door and handed me a piece of lined paper.

_You asked me to write about my hero, I asked myself, how can I pick just one? I can't, I can only say I pick my family. There are a lot of us, but we act as one. Each has a place and a purpose – we know each other so well that you'd think we could read minds or see the future. Our family has overcome every challenge thrown at us; forbidden love, children born against all odds, life and death. Through it all – we move as one, we act as one, we protect our own. My family is not only my "hero" but my heart._

Her words were sincere and full of love, she wrote the truth without giving details – it was beautiful.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it."

"I hope I get an A." Her brown eyes sparkled, looking at Renesmee I understood what Edward saw in me as a human. She was exquisite.

"Have you thought about what you are wearing yet?" She asked.

"Wearing, to what?"

"Homecoming!" She was excited.

"Oh, I'll probably just let Alice dress me."

"Really?" Alice squeaked as she flitted her way from the living room in to the bedroom.

"Of course, who else?"

"I can't believe how adorable our boys were today. I had no idea, I haven't been surprised, _really_ surprised in so long." Alice sighed as she stared off remembering. Even I, the queen of nothing showy, was impressed.

"Jacob looked so cute!" Nessie added, as she stared into her own daydream.

"Not as good as your father."

"Neither looked as great as Jasper."

"You guys sound like the girls at school." Rosalie added as she finally found her way to the party. "And you are all wrong. Emmett looked the best." She floated down onto the bed next to me.

"What is homecoming exactly?" Nessie asked. She was so intelligent yet so innocent. I chuckled at her, and her smile faded.

"You said yes, and you don't know what to?" Rose asked.

"I trust Jacob. He wouldn't ask unless he knew I'd love it." True.

"Let Alice tell you, she'll make it sound the best." I added.

Alice started to rattle off details and facts about homecoming; I tried to zone it out. I stared out the window at all the boys in the yard. Jasper and Emmett were sparring; it was the David and Goliath match up. Jasper was fast, precise, Emmett was brute strength. Jacob and Edward stood at a standstill; I missed the few moves it took them to get there. Fighting Edward was like fighting yourself, being one step ahead is really one step behind. Edward glanced up to the house and caught me watching, a crooked smile appeared on his face. Just as quickly he was flat on his back. The russet wolf ran into the woods and returned in moments as a fully dressed Jacob to tease Edward about his loss. Emmett and Jasper were still at it when Edward ran up to the window.

"Come on out, I want a fair fight!" He said.

"Fair? You have 80 years on me old man."

"Old man?"

"You heard me!"

"I'm only 17, you are almost 19, my dear/"

"You asked for it!" I flung open the window and jumped out landing on top of him. He relied so much on his power that it caught him off guard. "Too slow, old man!" I taunted. He lunged upward and threw me off of him. I fell to my feet in the middle of the clearing. Everyone crowded around and waited for one of us to make the next move.

The fight lasted nearly three hours, his experience made up for how blind he was without being able to hear my thoughts. The crowd decided early that Alice couldn't ruin it for them and she cheered for us equally. For my fatal blow I went at Edward from the side, slamming him against the reinforced steel corner of the cottage. I pinned his arms behind him and aimed my teeth for his jugular vein. I let out a snarl from deep in my throat and went in for the kill in true Cullen fashion – a light kiss against his pale skin

"Gotcha"

"I knew she was going to win." Emmett said victory in his voice. I beat him in arm wrestling so many times when I was a newborn, he never bet against me in a fight. Jasper always did, this time he lost a brand new Jeep for Emmett and a camping trip during grizzly season. "Pay up!" He said as he punched Jasper on the shoulder and started up their sparring match again.

Carlisle and Esme came up and announced that the Denali family was going back to Alaska. We all went to say goodbye.

"We'll see you soon." Edward gestured as they all got into their black sedan."For the wedding!" Tanya assured, she winked at Jacob and Nessie standing to my right.

As they drove off I brought my barrier back around just my family and let the rest of the world go unguarded. It was always an internal battle, the same battle to reign in and focus on the closest to me, the ones I could protect, and the ones I would protect at all costs.


	8. Chapter 8 So It Begins

Chapter 8

Esme and Alice headed directly to Esme's office, to start making wedding plans no doubt. I debated whether or not I should join them. This _was_ my only daughter, this _would_ be her only wedding.

"Come on Ness, let's go plan a wedding." I finally decided, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the house. I wasn't sure how she was going to feel about the wedding. I knew she was happy about being Jacob's wife but the rest was all still a mystery. Nessie was more susceptible to Alice's enthusiasm over…everything.

When we got to the office Esme and Alice were buzzing around each other pulling magazines from shelves, fabric from drawers. They already had a board set up with "Jacob and Renesmee" posted in big white letters on the top. There were a few vines and flowers hanging on one side and what looked like white lace weaving through them. Leave it to Alice to already have been planning a wedding before the engagement even began.

"I was thinking maybe spring time," Alice said. "Or maybe over winter break."

"Hm, definitely earth tones. Greens. Browns. Dark red." Esme replied as she pinned something else to the board.

They looked like they were having a conversation, but nothing they said made sense. I followed them with my eyes just standing and staring waiting for a break to make my presence known.

"Are you just going to stand there," Alice exclaimed, "or are you going to help?"

"Help!" I said, firm in my decision. "But, I'm not sure what you are doing."

"I like this color!" Renesmee added in, pulling a pale green remnant of fabric out of one of the many drawers.

Alice took the fabric, closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment, a smile blooming on her face. "You're right! It's perfect!"

"When is the wedding exactly, Alice?" I asked. I probably should have asked Jacob and Nessie but what was the point, Alice would have the day pinned down better than either of them at this time.

"I'm actually not certain. Things are still a bit hazy. It all keeps changing." She said, her smile fading. "It's not for at least 4 months. Which is hardly enough time. So stop talking and start grabbing." She barked.

If there was one thing I learned over the years it was don't get in Alice's way when she's planning. You'll regret it like the world regretted calling the Titanic the "Unsinkable Ship."

Time flew by as we debated between white, off white, and some other colors I'd never heard of. Honestly, they all looked the same to me. Alice still wasn't sure and it seemed like her visions all depended on her opinion and until she was sure we were in the dark. She held up one color to Nessie's cheek, it practically matched her skin tone, until she blushed. Alice smirked. Then she held up another. Back and forth, back and forth, until finally she yelled out, "Jacob! Come here please."

I heard him fly up the stairs three and four at a time. _Yay, finally someone who won't make me feel so un-girly, _I thought.

I watched as he entered the room. The color drained from his face, he even took a step back and shook his head.

"Wow." Jacob stammered, "I feel like I am in the Twilight Zone."

"Do dadodoo Do dadodoo." I sang out the familiar tune and wiggled my fingers wildly in the air.

Alice just stared at him, "Don't make me use you as a pincushion," she threatened and mocked throwing a few of the pins in her hand his way. "Just come over here." She pointed to the floor in the space next to her.

Jacob hopped over the pile of fabric in front of him and sidestepped around the board to his left, and gingerly placed his right foot in the very small empty piece of floor next to Alice.

"Here good?" He said smartly.

"Yes, now stay!" She patted Jacob on the arm, "Good doggie!"

Jacob growled, Alice smiled, and Nessie laughed.

"Which one?" Alice asked.

"They look the same to me." Jacob responded..

"Yeah, that's what I said," I replied, "And that's the same look I got." I pointed to Alice and Esme, both with looks of disappointment and disillusion on their faces. As if the whole world should know the difference between off white, eggshell, and ecru.

"Look again." Alice said, pinching Nessie's cheeks before holding up the cards.

"Ooo, I like this one better." Jacob said pointing to the color on the left.

"Traitor." I spat out at him.

"What?" He said, eyeing me, "it just looks so beautiful against her blush."

With that, Nessie blushed even deeper, Jacob smiled even wider, and I went to find Edward.

That was enough for me.

Downstairs Emmett and Rosalie were watching the latest horror movie. Another failed attempt at scary, another failed attempt at vampires. Where people got the notion that we were hurt by garlic was beyond me. I'm still waiting for the day a movie comes out that even slightly resembles the true nature of our kind. I was repulsed by Hollywood's versions of vampires, Rosalie and Emmett were amused.

Jasper sat at the computer typing so fast _I_ couldn't even see his fingers moving. His face was blank, hiding something, but what I couldn't even imagine, and wasn't sure I wanted to know. Things had been quiet, peaceful, happy for so long I didn't want to know if there was something planning on changing that.

"Bella, come here." Jasper said.

Guess I thought too soon.

"Yeah, what's up Jazz?" I asked. Not really sure if I wanted to know. But up on the screen there wasn't anything to be afraid of - travel websites. Exotic beaches, wild jungles, icy glaciers, luxurious cruises, any climate you could ever want and itineraries laid out for each.

"I'm going to need you to go up to Seattle and get some new papers. Jacob and Ness are going to need them for their honeymoon."

"Oh, I can do that." I tried to contain my relief that it wasn't bad news even though I knew he could feel it in the air. "I'll call J in the morning." _Before school_, I added to myself.


	9. Chapter 9 Junior

**Don't forget to check out the little bit I added to chapter 8. I don't want you to miss something.**

Chapter 9 - Junior

"Hello?" A man answered the phone, he sounded like J, but definitely wasn't him.

"Where's J?" I asked, skipping the formalities.

"Who is this?"

I thought a moment before I answered. What should I say? Bella? Mrs. Cullen? Mr. Edward's wife? J had called me so many things over the years, but which would he have referred to me as to his co-workers.

"This is Mrs. Cullen. I need to speak with J, please." I responded.

"I regret having to tell you Mrs. Cullen, J is no longer with us." The man replied, his voice a little strained. I couldn't tell if he recognized who I was.

"Do you have his home number, sir?" I asked.

"No, ma'am, I mean to say, Mr. Jenks has passed on," He sounded a little choked up, "recently."

"I am so sorry to hear that." I said, _Now what am I going to do, _I thought.

"I'd be happy to assist you Mrs. Cullen. I am Junior. J was my father." He explained, another choke in his voice, "I am familiar with your needs."

"Thank you, Junior. I don't mean to intrude during such a difficult time." I apologized.

"No, it's okay, I could use a distraction. I can meet you in an hour?"

"Sure, that's fi-…well, actually I have to go to school."

"School?" Junior said, he sounded confused. Maybe his father hadn't divulged as much information to his son as I had assumed.

"Yeah, never mind, I can afford to miss a day. I'll meet you at the downtown office in, let's say, three hours. Okay?"

"See ya there."

I had to find Edward and let him know I wasn't going to make it to school today and somehow convince him to not come with me. If Junior was anything like his father the less contact with the rest of the family he had the better. They all made him very nervous after spending so many years working with Jasper.

I ran down to the main house, where everyone was waiting for me. Jacob was leaned up against his car, his left arm draped over Nessie's shoulders. They looked like complete opposites to the unknowing eye - a russet colored giant and a creamy pale little girl. If you looked closely you noticed how her head fit perfectly into the groove of his chest, his large hand perfectly contoured to hold her dainty one, and when they walked her quick tiny steps matched is wide lazy ones. They say imprinting doesn't affect the other person, that they only choose the one who imprints them because it makes the most sense, but after spending so much time around wolves and their partners, I couldn't accept this as truth. Nessie's world revolved around Jacob just as much as his revolved around her.

"I already told them." Alice called out from the front passenger seat. "He's going with you, don't even try to convince him otherwise. You aren't going to win."

As if on queue Edward walked out of the house, he had a backpack draped over one shoulder and a set of keys in his hand. "Are you ready?"

"I guess so." I said. "But I get to drive."

He smiled my favorite crooked smile and tossed the keys to me. "Whatever you say, Mrs. Cullen."

Three hours later we were pulling into the familiar neighborhood. What used to be run down houses turned apartments and a few shady business fronts was now upscale town homes and a swanky shopping plaza. There was only one building that didn't fit in to the new neighborhood - the law office. I couldn't believe it was still standing, yet there it was, boards still in the windows, and a man still whistling on the front porch.

I parked the car along the curb. "Stay here." I said to Edward, I gave him the look that said, you better listen or I'll…well I wasn't sure what I would do, but he better listen.

The whistler didn't even look up but said, "Maybe you shouldn't park that car there, lady. It might not be here when you get back."

"Thanks for the warning." I said, recalling this same conversation from two decades ago.

The man looked up this time, it seemed to pull a trigger in his mind too.

"Max, what are you doing still working down here?" I asked.

"Waiting for you to come back to me, my big bad supermodel angel." He winked, "How's the diamond smuggling business going, beautiful?"

I heard the door to the car open, and within moments Edward was by my side. Max put his hands out in front of him and shook them side to side, "I don't want no trouble man, back off."

"What did you say to my wife?" Edward asked in a near growl.

"Edward, stop, it's okay. Max and I go way back." I pulled him back closer to me than Max. This was exactly why I didn't want him to come with me. Edward knew how to handle humans, but he still hadn't nailed down his overreactions when it came to me. "Go back in the car, and stay there." I said, giving him the same look as before. "Please!" I smiled.

He reluctantly withdrew mumbling under his breath the whole way. I lifted my shield for long enough to think _You should have just went to school, _and then shut him out of my head again.

The meeting with Junior went very well. He looked just like his father, just a little taller, a little leaner, and a slightly improved fashion sense. J had told him enough that he wasn't riddled with nerves when I shook his hand. He said it would take him about two weeks to get the papers, I told him he didn't have to rush it the wedding wasn't for a couple more months. He looked relieved. We agreed that I would get a hold of him when they needed to be finalized and we'd arrange a time and place to meet up then. Edward had stayed in the car the remainder of the say, and all in all the meeting was a success. It seemed we wouldn't need to find a new illegal paper maker anytime soon, Junior guaranteed me the family business was going strong.

When I got back out to the car, Edward was in the drivers seat staring Max down. How could he even feel remotely threatened by an old man and his charm? I shook my head and just smiled at my overprotective, completely absurd, and ridiculously handsome husband.

"Give the man a break, Edward, he's just a little flirtatious. He doesn't get very many beautiful women down here. At least ones that will talk to him."

With that he changed his expression, smiled and waved to Max as we pulled away.


	10. Chapter 10 Unwanted Guests

Chapter 10 - Unwanted Guests

Edward and I got back to the house before the rest of the family. It would be another two hours before any of them got home. We pulled the car into the garage and headed inside. Something seemed different.

"Do you smell that?" I asked Edward.

"Yeah, it, smells like, human…sort of." He replied, sticking his nose into the air and inhaling deeply. "I smell vampire too."

"A human hasn't been here in almost a year." I pointed out, thinking about my father. It was harder for him to get around now that he was older. We went to him and Sue now when we wanted to visit. Every time he'd fuss and say, "Now I could of come up to you guys, I know you're all pretty busy." But we'd all reassure him it wasn't a bother. Charlie didn't like to admit his body was giving out on him, he'd remain the same old tough as nails stubborn as an ox Charlie 'til the day he died. So whenever Alice would see him make up his mind to give us a visit, we'd all hop in our cars and head on down to Forks.

It was hard to see Charlie get older. I'd always known that choosing this life meant I'd have to watch so many I loved and cared about age and pass on. I figured just like everything else that came with being a vampire, I'd be a natural at it. That maybe my awesome preparation could save me the pain of having to watch it and remember it with perfect clarity.

With my perfect memory and eyesight, I watched with complete clarity the finite wrinkles forming on my fathers face. Each time I saw him I could see the minute differences in depth and length. I could nearly count how many grey hairs more he had than the last time. And nothing prepared me for it.

"They went inside." Edward said, bringing me back to reality.

Without even responding I followed the faint trail, into the house through the garage door. Up the stairs, around the living room, the kitchen, I could tell they paused at the refrigerator because the odor lingered a bit heavy there. Then up the stairs, through each door, every office, every bedroom, and again up the last flight of steps. It was as if they were taking a tour of the house. Nothing appeared to be touched, nothing was out of place or missing.

The trail led back downstairs and out the back door, over the river, and up the hill to the cottage. But about a mile away from my house the trail concentrated and didn't move forward. They stood there for, a minute, maybe more, then took off directly East.

Edward ran that trail until he nearly hit the state line and headed back.

"Looks like they didn't head back this way." He said, assuring me.

"What were they doing here?" I asked, "Who _were _they?"

"And why didn't Alice see it?" Edward added with a hint of a growl in his voice.

"Don't blame her. Nothing happened. She's had a lot on her mind lately."

"This is a little bit more important than a wedding!" He said, matter-of-factly.

"Really? You should ask you daughter about that?"

I left him standing there in the spot where our unwanted guests had stood. Edward's overreactions could sometimes be overwhelming. I headed up to the cottage, it was such a peaceful place, and thankfully didn't smell like intruders. Why would someone, or people, just walk around the house and not touch anything, or stop anywhere, except the fridge. And what was that smell?

I paced back in forth in front of the fireplace, staring at the flames licking the air, making dancing shadows on the brick. _Think Bella, think! _It was so familiar, that smell, like something I'd smelt every day of my life, but different. Like smelling the cologne Edward wore, on someone else. I felt a pull to check the rest of the house, I believe Edward when he'd said they didn't come this way, but I needed to make sure for myself. Nothing smelled in my kitchen - except the usual stink of the human food. I could smell the different spots where the werewolves curled up in the corners of the rooms. I checked the down the hallway - nothing. There wasn't even a hint anywhere in mine and Edward's room. I checked every nook and cranny before heading to Renesmee's room.

As I turned the knob to her bedroom everything clicked into place, the light in my head went off. I tried to relax and push my shield away from me so Edward could hear my train of thought, but instinctively it pulled tighter instead of releasing.


	11. Chapter 11 Full Orbit

Chapter 11 - Full Orbit

I'd explained my idea three separate time when I decided to call a family meeting. No, my throat would never become parched and start to hurt from all the talking, but I was beginning to annoy myself.

I had Edward call everyone on their cells and let them know to meet us at Carlisle's as soon as vampirically possible. I was already on my way - headed straight for the dining room table. For being a "prop" it sure did get a lot of use.

Edward showed up a few moments behind me, taking the seat to my immediate left. Followed by Jasper and Alice. I could see the concentration on her face as she scanned the future for any impending danger. A brush of peace settled over the room - _Thanks Jasper, _I thought nodding my head to him.

Carlisle made his way to the head of the table with Esme on his arm. Emmett and Jacob trailed after them, punching each other and giggling the whole way. Lastly, Rose and Nessie skipped into the dining room hand in hand.

"Good! We're all here." Carlisle started. "Some of you already know, or may have noticed on your way in, we had some visitors in our house today."

Everyone stiffened at the thought.

"When Bella and I arrived home earlier this afternoon we found an unusual scent and an even more unusual trail, throughout the house and up to the cottage." Edward began.

Emmett clenched his hands into a fist and smacked them together saying, "Who do we get to kill now?"

"Relax, son, we don't know why they were here, or who they even were." Carlisle said, always on the passive aggressive side of a problem. "Go ahead, Bella, tell them what you think." He ushered me on with a casual flick of his hand.

"At first I wasn't sure. The scent was so familiar, yet…off. I knew I recognized it, but I couldn't place it. When I got to Nessie's door," I paused, then continued, "it all made sense."

Jacob sat up even taller, all his muscles flexed under his russet skin, and I think I even saw him start to shake with fury - a thing of the past. Jacob has had his wolf completely under control for 15 years now without so much as a shiver.

"The smell like Nessie!" I exclaimed, "Not exactly of course."

"Probably because she always smells like dog." Rose added, sending a distinct glare and snarl Jacob's way.

"What do you think that means?" Jasper asked, bringing the conversation back to the appropriate topic. Like usual, he was one to be the most interested in this phenomenon - always trying to outwit the players in whatever game this was we were playing.

"I'm not sure exactly, that's why we're all here. Any ideas?"

We all looked at Alice, who was still blank faced in concentration. Her eyes were closed and twitching underneath her stone eyelids. I could only imagine how things looked in Alice's mind - constantly seeing the present and the future. We put so much on her tiny shoulders, I don't know how she handled it all.

"Well - maybe..." Emmett started, but Alice shot her hand out in front of his mouth as if to tell him to shut up. Her eyelids twitched a few more times then she opened them.

She didn't look scared, she didn't really look happy either. We all waited to hear what she had to say, but instead of talking, she grabbed Edward and pulled him from the table and out of the house.

Jasper and I just stared at each other in disbelief. What was going on? I couldn't help but think she'd left us again - that bothered me, but it bothered me more that she took my husband with her. I felt out to them through my power, their lights disappearing as they reached the edge of my protection.

"What was that?" Rose finally asked breaking the heartbroken silence.

"That's a good question." Jasper replied.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." I said as I stood up and raced out the door following another trail of another scent. But this scent would never escape me, I knew it inside and out, and I would follow it forever if I had to - Edward couldn't leave me again. Not now. Not Ever!

It was two sunsets and one sunrise before I even thought about stopping. Even though I heard Jasper and Jacob tailing me, I never slowed. The trees blew past me, I was concentrating so hard on Edward that I didn't even notice the branches as they smacked against me, snapped off, and fell to the ground behind me. It wasn't until I thought about Renesmee that I finally stopped. If Jacob was following me, I was following Edward, than she was at home, practically alone. She had Rose, Emmett, and her grandpa and grandma, but her father, mother, and fiancé, were out somewhere in the woods, without her, running away from her. I couldn't do that to my beloved daughter.

So there I sat, in the middle of who knows where, on a rotted out tree stump - gasping for air I didn't need, crying tears that would never fall. Torn between the love of my life and the light of my life. I was internalizing so hard that I didn't even hear Jasper and Jacob come up beside me. I didn't even have them under my protective barrier. I hugged myself with my shield, the one comfort I had at the moment that I knew would never desert me leaving me broken with a giant hole in the middle of my chest. As if my shield wasn't enough to hold me together, I wrapped my arms around my middle and squeezed as tight as I could keeping the air from blowing through me. _Not again_ I thought to myself as I slipped into darkness.


	12. Chapter 12 Another New Moon

Chapter 12 -

I wasn't asleep, I was pretty sure I wasn't dead. I could hear. I could even see. I just couldn't move. My lungs didn't contract and pull in the air that sat stagnant around me. My eyes didn't shift from one side to the other. I just sat on the couch in the same position I'd been in when the darkness came over me.

Jasper and Jacob had caught up to me right when it happened.

"Bells!" Jacob had said.

No response.

"Bella?" Jasper had asked, as if someone else was in my skin.

I wanted to speak, to let them know I was okay - I couldn't. They had carried me back to the house and placed me where I now sat - as frozen in place as my body was frozen in time.

"What's wrong with her?" I heard Renesmee ask.

"I'm not sure sweetie." Carlisle answered.

I could hear his footsteps coming towards me from the right. He eventually came into my peripheral view, his oh so familiar black bag in his hand. Just like the days before I was a vampire, Carlisle came to my medical rescue.

He hurriedly looked through the bag, pulling out nearly every instrument, medication, and torture device he had. I could see the frustration on his face, temporary moments of relief, then I'd watch them vanish. He tried a penlight on my eyes. _Come on Carlisle, you know the only changing my eyes do are the color._

"What am I thinking," he muttered to himself, "our eyes only change color."

He picked up a thermometer, shook his head, smirked, and put it back down. Then reached for his reflex hammer. _Right! _I thought to myself, in my head I rolled my eyes.

Carlisle reached back and plinked the hammer off of my knee, the hammer flew back. He tried it again, this time harder. Instead of the hammer flying back, or my leg flying forward, the hard rubber dented against my skin.

After about twenty more failed attempts at a diagnosis, Carlisle reached up, a hand on each shoulder, stared deeply into my eyes, and shook me. He shook me so hard that air was forced down into my lungs, I could feel the hole in my chest flare, the edges burning, leaving me feeling hollow, broken, empty. My arms squeezed tighter - Carlisle noticed.

"Bella!" He said, as if surprised the shaking really worked.

Still nothing.

"Bella! Please!" He pleaded.

_I'm trying Carlisle. I'm really trying. _

Esme found her way over to us, first she put her hand on Carlisle's shoulder, kissed his forehead, and whispered something in his ear. I was concentrating so hard on keeping myself together, that the things that came so easily to me as a vampire seemed to disappear. My vision was slightly blurry, my hearing not as in tune - as if somehow a broken heart turned me back into a human. I felt Esme wrap a blanket around my shoulders, it wasn't needed, I wasn't cold, but it was her way of comforting me. She sat down beside me and wrapped an arm around me and rocked side to side whispering in my ear. "It's okay, it's going to be okay." Over and over again.

I believed her. I had to. I just needed some time to adjust.

Things went back to normal, sort of, after a day or two. Nessie, Jacob, Rose, and Emmett, were still making it to school. Carlisle and Esme went to the office. And while it was just Jasper and I at the house, he'd sit with me, stare at nothing, wrap his arms around his breaking heart and squeeze too. He wouldn't speak and I never once even felt him change the mood around me. I reminded myself to thank him for it whenever I could talk again. Every once in awhile one of my family would stop and stare, Carlisle or Jasper would tell them to leave me alone, and would assure them that "She'll be back soon." To be honest, they didn't sound that reassuring to me.

Late one night, after Jacob and Nessie had gone home to the cottage, Rose, Emmett and Esme were out hunting, I heard Jasper and Carlisle up in the office talking. I concentrated on what they were saying, and caught most of the conversation.

"What do you think?" Carlisle asked Jasper.

"I'm not sure, I've never seen it this bad before."

"But you _have _seen it before?"

"Yes." He answered meekly, Jasper sounded ashamed. He continued anyway, "Sometimes when I'd have to destroy a vampire, their mate would go into shock."

"Go on!" Carlisle pressured.

"They would just sit and stare, they wouldn't move, but it only ever lasted for a couple hours."

"Did they come out of it?" Carlisle asked.

Jasper didn't answer.

"Oh." Carlisle said, as if it clicked and made perfect sense to him.

_What? _I screamed in my head, _it doesn't make sense to me. What happened to them?_ But instead they just moved on.

"What do we do?" Jasper asked.

"We find Edward."

With the mention of his name I gasped, wrapped my arms so tightly around my chest I could feel my bones cracking under the pressure. I repeated his name in my head _Edward_, and I heard it being said out loud.

"Edward."

Another gasp escaped, another rib broke, _Edward_ I thought again, and again I heard his name being called.

"Edward"

The pattern continued. Why wouldn't they stop saying it? Didn't they know how much pain it was causing me.

I didn't even notice the hands that were pulling my arms from around my chest. The two sets of wide golden eyes that stared at me in amazement. Their perfectly still lips. Then it clicked, I was saying his name. It was my own voice that was inflicting so much pain.

"Can you try to relax her?" Carlisle asked Jasper.

"I can't. I can only change emotion, I'm not able to create it."

Confused, Carlisle asked, "what do you mean?"

"I mean, Bella has no emotion. She's blank, nothing. If I couldn't see her and feel her with my own eyes and hands, I wouldn't believe she was there."

Carlisle didn't respond, he probably didn't know what to say - I didn't know what to think.

"And I can't _create_ emotion, I can only change and manipulate it." Jasper continued.

"How long as she been like that, to you?" Carlisle asked.

"Since I found her in the woods. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me when we got to her. I rely so much on 'emotional recognition'. You each have your own…flavor, there was no sign of 'Bella' anywhere."

_I'm right here, _I screamed from inside my stone shell - more appropriately my stone prison.

Jasper and Carlisle were still holding my arms out and away from my body when the hunting party returned.

"Come give us a hand." Carlisle asked.

Everyone came over, waiting for their instructions.

"She's broken a few ribs, if I let go of her arm, she'll probably break a few more." He explained. "I need the hospital bed, the heavy duty one, set up upstairs."

Rose darted up the stairs, I could hear the banging and clanging of her rearranging the office into the mini hospital we had up there.

"Emmett, come here and hold this arm." Carlisle gestured to my right arm that he grasped. Emmett gripped my forearm before Carlisle released his part. The difference in strength was apparent.

Jasper and Emmett carried me upstairs and set me on the hospital bed. It was one of the cross shaped ones, with resting areas for your arms when they are hooked up to all kinds of machines. Carlisle pushed on my knees until my legs relaxed under his force. When you aren't trying to push against someone, it doesn't take long. He then pulled my shirt up to just below my bra and ran his fingers down my sides, slowly and gently. Each time he found a damaged rib he would call out the number. Five was the total. Three on the right, two on the left. He pushed here and pushed there, then wrapped me in a cast It wasn't a typical cast, but something stronger, more likely to withstand a squeeze or two.

Rose traded places with Jasper, I heard him walk to the other side of the room and pull down the giant white board that hung high on the wall. It wasn't in my line or sight and my peripheral vision couldn't catch it, but I knew the familiar sound of the marker on the board. He was writing something, but what?

Rose and Emmett held my arms back all night. I was so glad that their relationship was nothing like mine or Edw…his, or it might have been burning a permanent hole in my chest. They talked about sex, a lot. They reminisced about honeymoons they'd had, houses they'd destroyed. So when Esme and Carlisle showed up to replace them, I was a bit relieved and a bit scared. They would remind me of…us…and that would hurt. But I was surprised. They talked about Renesmee, the wedding, they discussed the weather, and how the office was doing. It seemed to cool the burning edges instead of light them on fire again.

After a week of being under constant surveillance I was determined to do _something. _I really hate having to be babysat. This was part of the problem when I was human, and damnit, I'm not human any more. So I pulled myself together mentally, because physically I had a werewolf and a vampire practically sitting on my arms. I prepared myself, I took a deep breath, and hoarsely spat out, "Get off of me." I waited, no one moved, so I added, "Please!"


	13. Chapter 13 Awake

Chapter 13 - Awake

Jacob jumped off of me, Emmett was a little slower to react.

"Bells! Is it you?"

_Who else would it be?_ I thought, forgetting for a moment that I had found my voice.

"Who else would it be?" I repeated, out loud this time.

I tried to sit up, my cast was in the way. I reached out to Emmett and Jacob, "Help a lady up, will ya?"

They each grabbed a hand and pulled me up slowly. The cast crunched and crackled a little as it readjusted to my new upright position. I looked down at it and growled.

"Can I take this thing off?" I asked no one in particular.

No one said yes, but no one said no either. I grabbed the cast at the bottom near my waistline and started ripping it in half. No one told me to stop. I kept ripping. It was off, I was free. I breathed a giant sigh of relief, my chest flared with the familiar and unwanted burning sensation. I frantically grabbed for the cast and pulled it back around me. It didn't make the burn go away, but it kept the air from fanning the flames.

Through tearless sobs I cried, "Where is Carlisle? I need him to put this back on. I need him to make the pain go away."

I could feel the darkness creeping it's way back to me - this time I was prepared. I'd spent the last couple decades loving Edward. We have a daughter, a home, I finished his sentences, and sometimes I even started them. For twenty years I have studied every facial expression, anticipated every move, memorized every kiss we've shared. Even though every moment we are apart feels like a lifetime, I know we'll be together again. There aren't enough floorboards on the entire earth to hide my memories under now.

I pushed back the sobs, it was going to be okay. "I can do this." I said out loud to myself.

Even if I couldn't, I would tell myself I could. The darkness retreated. I still wasn't whole, when half of you consists of another being, and they're gone, half of you is missing. But I was better. At least the part of me I held, was trying to hold itself together.

I felt the familiar arms of my soon to be son-in-law, and current best friend, his warmth wrapped around me, my personal sun, shining bright and hot. "He'll be back." Jacob whispered into my hair.

"I know," was all I could say.

Not a moment later a herd of footsteps came barreling toward us. The rest of my family and a few extended family members pushed their way into the office. Renesmee first, followed by Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Seth, Leah, and lastly Jasper. All of them with smiles on their faces, except Jasper. He looked a lot like I imagined myself to look, lost, confused, pretending to be hopeful. It's hard to deny your instinct that you've been left to replace it with your knowledge of love, which you could never live without and can't imagine they'd be able to either.

Nessie wrapped her arms around me and Jacob, the family followed. We all stood in a giant vampire-werewolf-humanish group hug, a true test that love transcends all.

"I missed you Mom." Nessie whispered. We all could hear it whether she whispered or not, but it seemed more appropriate in that moment to hear those words through a small airy breath.

Carlisle found me next, he pushed a few of the hands away gently, "I need to examine Bella, if you will all give us a minute."

Slowly they all left the room, except Nessie, I held on to her hand and pleaded to Carlisle with my eyes.

"Okay, Nessie can stay." He said, giving in, or giving up. Carlisle doesn't have it in him to fight about simple things.

There was a light knock at the door, Esme allowed herself in.

"I brought this for Bella."

I had been so wrapped up in the pain I didn't even notice that I no longer had a shirt on. When I ripped the cast off I was left in just my bra and a pair of jeans. Esme held out a blue shirt to me.

"Thank you."

"Your welcome sweetie, I'm glad you're back with us." Then she left.

Carlisle started by feeling each of my ribs, he went through the motions, as I recalled them from days previous. Everything seemed to be healed.

"So am I good to go, Doc?"

"It appears that way, but be careful. It's hard to tell just by feel."

"Don't worry, Grandpa, I'll take good care of her." Nessie promised.

_I hope that doesn't mean I still have babysitters. _I thought to myself. Before I could even make a face showing my disgust with the thought Nessie had begun pulling me out of the room. I frantically pulled the shirt over my head before we were down the stairs. She pulled me all the way to the cottage where we were greeted by Jacob, and his pack - all of them. And for the second time in fifteen years I saw him shake with fury.


	14. Chapter 14 Blind

Chapter 14 - Blind

We all stood and stared at each other for what felt like a whole century. Something was wrong, everything was wrong. Is this why Edward and Alice ran? It all seemed to click into place and fall apart at the same time in my head.

I could feel Renesmee's fear, as I saw Jacob in double vision - mine and hers. He was still shaking, still trying to control himself, while a few of the lesser wolves in the pack lost their human shape to the much larger one that lived inside of them.

"What's going on?" I finally broke the deafening silence.

"I found a trail heading North." Seth answered. "I followed it, of course," he smirked, "he was waiting for me." He pointed to his left with his chin.

I followed the nod Seth gave and looked over to find a familiar face, a face I hadn't seen in a long time. A face that once brought so much peace and understanding at a time when it was most needed. A kind, concerned face, not pale like a vampire, but flushed like a human - Nahuel.

As I thought it, I saw the memories being shared through my daughter's hand. I saw the way he watched me, the way he watched Nessie back when we were both only a few weeks old - Nessie in her first life, and I, in my afterlife. I watched the return of Alice with the strangers following her. It hurt to remember the way she left us before. It hurt to know she had _my_ Edward with her this time. But it helped to know she had a reason to leave, it made me happy to know she had come back back then, and she'd do it again, now.

"What's going on?" I asked again. The answer Seth gave hadn't explained anything, he just added more confusion.

"Jakey, talk to me, tell us what's happening." Nessie pleaded.

She let go of my hand and flitted over to Jacob, he stepped away from her as she got closer.

"No, Ness, I'm not in control of myself." He said - she didn't listen.

Nessie grabbed his hands and pulled them to her chest. She gently placed a soft kiss on the top of each of them, "I'm not scared, I know you won't hurt me."

"But I don't know that." Jacob replied, angrily, he pulled his hands back into tight balls at his side. It was hard for him to deny Nessie anything she wanted, I could hear his breath hitch and his heart race as he struggled to keep it together. Nessie stayed where she was, she didn't grab his hands again - she didn't back away. So much like her mother, she was never afraid when she should be - when she needed to be. It was easy for us to be comfortable with the "monsters".

"Just tell us what's wrong? Maybe that will help. I can help." Nessie pleaded again.

"Maybe I can help." Nahuel stepped forward.

The pack all shifted and crouched between him and Nessie and I - except Leah. Instead Leah held her hand out to him, a smile like I'd never seen painted on her face. This wasn't the Leah I knew. Even the spark that let me know Leah was under my protective barrier was different - brighter, warmer.

"They won't hurt you. They _can't _hurt you." She said to Nahuel, still reaching out to him, waiting for his hand to find hers.

I watched as Nahuel hesitantly took Leah's hand, his face screamed confusion, distrust, but there was an underlying hint of peace. The pack all stepped back as Leah brought Nahuel forward. None of them looked happy about whatever was going on, except for Seth, but Seth was always happy.

"I'm not really sure where to start." Nahuel began. The slight accent he had the first time I'd met him was no where in his words. "After I left here twenty years ago I decided not to return with Huilen. It was very hard to do, to leave her after she'd spent so many years looking after me. When I met your family here, Renesmee, Edward, and most importantly you, Bella," he nodded in my direction, "I knew something had to be done. Someone needed to stop my father, someone needed to save the next woman he chose to damn." He grinded his teeth as he spoke. You could hear the disgust, regret, the sheer bitterness in his voice.

"Just get to the point." Jacob spat out at him. The disgust just as prevalent in his voice as Nahuel's.

"I've been with my father and my sisters for the last fifteen years. I have successfully saved three women, if condemning them to a life of endless nights counts as saving them. I tried to do this without letting Joham know." Another level of sadness came with Nahuel's words.

An exaggerated sigh escaped from Jacob followed by a few more from the pack. They seemed to be getting restless. Jacob had at least controlled his fury, his shaking under control, he had wrapped his arms around Nessie protectively.

"Okay, I will give you the short version of the rest of the story." Nahuel started up again. "A couple weeks ago my father was murdered."

"Murdered?" I asked. Murdered is a term you don't hear in the vampire world very often. We are killed, every now and then, and sometimes we are murderers, but never murdered.

"The Volturi." Nahuel answered. "They sent a few members of their guard to speak with my father, to _convince _him to stop the madness." Nahuel looked down at the ground, still grasping Leah's hand. "They fought, my father lost, but not before my sister, Razinna, was destroyed." Tears were starting to form in his eyes as he spoke.

"I'm sorry Nahuel. I can't imagine the pain that you must feel. But I must know, why are you here?" I questioned.

"They blame your family, you, Renesmee, Edward. They know the Volturi wouldn't know about them if it wasn't for what happened here."

"Oh." It was the only response I could muster up, I didn't know what it meant _they blame your family._

"They were coming here to destroy your Edward."

I hissed, the pack growled, Renesmee started to cry, at the words that Nahuel spoke.

"I followed them with the intent to warn you. That's when I ran into this pup here." Nahuel continued, pointing at Seth. "My sisters retreated when they realized Edward wasn't here. But they will wait, they will come back. Their dedication to my father is strong, much like the dedication you all have for Edward."

_I doubt that,_ I thought to myself. Edward was a saint, an angel, Joham was a monster. He didn't deserve any kind of dedication.

"Edward has left us." I pushed the words out, trying not to think them as I spoke, it hurt too much to think. "Let your sisters know."

"I can't go back to them." Nahuel said. "They know I have come here, they know I have given away their secrets," he squeezed Leah's hand as he spoke, "and my heart." They stared into each others eyes before he continued. "They don't want to harm you, but if they do not get their revenge soon they will settle for someone else."

The control that Jacob had gathered up disappeared. He was squeezing Nessie as tight as he could to keep himself from shaking apart his skin and giving in to the anger. The world was collapsing around me, I grabbed at the pieces, trying desperately to put it all back together. All the control and reason I had gained since becoming a vampire flew out the window. Nothing made sense, why would anyone want to hurt my Edward? Why would anyone want to hurt my family? What do we do to stop them without our offensive line? Why would they leave us, blind, scared, and unprotected?

_Wait. Stop being so pathetic, Bella. You may be blind, you may be scared, but you are definitely not unprotected._ I screamed at myself. And in an instant I had my shield up, ready, waiting. If anything got to close to the ones I loved, I would know. I would feel their power, their essence, and I'd protect.

I pulled the band of power around the group that stood around me, getting used to the new light - Nahuel. Then, another light showed up, just at the edge, just past those trees, someone was standing, waiting. Then they disappeared, they all disappeared.


	15. Chapter 15 Emilene

**AN: Sorry it took so long for the update. Hopefully it'll come quicker form now on. Thanks for your patience. I love reading your reviews, keep them coming. **

**

* * *

  
**

Chapter 15 - Emilene

I crouched, I hissed, I moved in front of everyone and held my arms out as wide as I could protectively, and I waited. I waited for my sixth sense to kick back in, it couldn't be gone, it was my purpose. I heard gasps and growls from the wolves behind me. Nessie's sobs rang in my ears as Jacob fought his way ahead of me. Even Nahuel stood offensively, maybe he spoke the truth after all.

"Who is it Bells?" Jacob asked.

"I don't know."

"You don't recognize them?"

"No. I mean, it's gone."

"They left?" He asked, allowing some slack in his shoulders.

"No. I mean, I don't know. My shield, it's gone. I can't see them, I can't see any of you." Tearless sobs left my mouth. How did we get into this position?

"It's okay. I know who it is." Nahuel announced. "She won't hurt you…us. She won't hurt us."

"Are you sure?" I asked him. I felt like I could trust him, Edward would know if we could.

"Come on out!" Nahuel called to the trees.

I may not have my power but I was still a vampire, I could still hear the breath escaping her chest, the rustling of the leaves underneath her feet as she headed out of the woods. She was petite, even smaller than Nessie. She was dark like Nahuel. Pain was all over her face and fear kept her body tense.

"Nahuel?" She asked in a high pitched childlike voice.

"It's okay Emilene, come here. They won't hurt you." Nahuel called back to her.

"That's what you think." Jacob mumbled under his breath.

Nahuel looked at me for reassurance.

"We won't hurt you as long as you don't try to hurt us." I did the best I could under the circumstances.

Emilene ran to Nahuel, pushed past Leah and wrapped her arms around him. She reminded me of Nessie when she was just about 5 years old - not quite fully grown. My mothering instincts kicked in and told me I needed to protect this girl. But why?

I let them hug for a few minutes, Nahuel ran his hand back and forth on her back, comforting her as if she was his own child. But there were questions to be asked, questions to be answered and I wasn't going to get them by watching the two embrace.

"Nahuel, I have some more questions."

He released Emilene but kept her hand in his. "Go ahead." He said.

"What did she do to me? And can it be undone?"

"It's her power. She can turn off a vampire's power if she wishes. I do not know if she can turn it back on. We have not come across a situation where we have needed to." Nahuel began. "But I imagine it is possible."

"Can we try it, please. I feel blind."

Nahuel spoke to Emilene in a foreign language that I didn't recognize. Over the years I'd learned quite a few languages, it was so simple now and it passed the time. But this one I did not recognize. I watched their mouths move trying to pick out a dialect or a resemblance to something I'd heard before…nothing. I watched as Emilene tightened her face in concentration, she pointed her little round chin in my direction. I felt a spark, I could feel my shield fall into place, and feel it disappear all over again. Emilene tried a few more times, as long as she was concentrating I could see the sparks of the minds I protected as soon as she dropped that concentration it all disappeared. I just wanted to reach out and grab it, take it back, it's my shield, someone else can't give it and take it away.

We spent the next couple days practicing. Of course Emilene needed to rest, she wasn't a full vampire. But even during her dreams I could feel the familiar reassurance of my shield. She was working so hard to help us. And even though Jacob wasn't very welcoming of the newcomers I knew Emilene held the key to my power and she was staying.


End file.
